


What Happens at Slumber Parties...

by LittleLadyBigDreamer



Category: The Librarians (TV 2014)
Genre: Ceve, F/M, Flowing Alcohol, Gal Pals Ceve, Including talk talks, Jenkins appreciates quiet time, Librariansshipathon, Rated T for adult conversation which is mostly euphemisms, girl talk, slumber parties
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-14
Updated: 2016-07-14
Packaged: 2018-07-24 01:28:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7488042
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LittleLadyBigDreamer/pseuds/LittleLadyBigDreamer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cassandra's never been to a slumber party. Eve doesn't think that's right.</p>
            </blockquote>





	What Happens at Slumber Parties...

**Author's Note:**

> Okay so this I started months ago! Which is why it's so long and has taken me til the end of Ceve week to upload. I'm not entirely happy with how in-character it is but they're both loosening up and there's alcohol so I'll assign it to that fact. I hope you like it :)

Eve carefully set out the cookies she'd bought on a plate when a hand crept out from behind her and tried to take one. "Ow!" Flynn cried when she smacked him. "What are you, the cookie police?" he frowned at her, rubbing his hand. 

"Our slumber party, our cookies," she stated simply.

"Well you wouldn't let me stay here so that's not really fair is it?" 

"You really want to hang out at a slumber party?" she asked, eyebrow raised.

"I do if I get to see you have a pillow fight in your underwear," he grinned.

"You know that's not what we do right?"

Flynn's face fell. "Why would you tell me that?"

Eve laughed softly at his reaction. He genuinely looked quite heartbroken. "I'm sorry. But you do realise that if I'm having a semi-naked pillow fight tonight then I'll be having it with Cassandra?"

"Point taken," Flynn replied, wincing a little. That was too weird and so many levels of wrong that he immediately regretted saying anything. "Nevermind."

As if on cue the doorbell rang and when Flynn opened the door a very excited Cassandra stood on the other side of it, pyjamas on and carrying way too many bags. "Hi," she beamed at them, stepping into the apartment when Flynn stood sideways to let her in. 

"Hey Red," Eve smiled. "You got enough stuff there?"

"I think so. I wasn't sure what I'd need and then I grabbed a few extra things because you know, choices. Oh thank you," she said to Flynn who took all her bags from her and put them in the living room. "The boys are waiting for you outside," she informed him. "Be prepared. I was sat in the front seat and Mr Jenkins is driving so Jake and Zeke are pretty much just arguing every minute."

"Good to know. Thank you," Flynn responded. 

"Wait Jenkins is going out too?" Eve cried out in disbelief. 

"Mmhmm," the redhead nodded. "I told him it would make me happy if he hung out with them. He kind of couldn't say no after that," she giggled as though it was a confession. 

"Well good, he deserves to have a good time and actually leave the Annex," Eve declared. 

There was a honk from outside and all three heads turned to the door. "And he seems very eager to do that," Flynn muttered. "I better go."

Cassandra strolled into the living room to sort through her things and give the couple some privacy. "Bye," she waved. 

"Are you gonna be okay with all the girly stuff?" Flynn asked, walking up to Eve and slipping a hand around her waist, pulling her flush against him. 

"Of course, I know it's not totally my thing but I do actually like it now and again. Plus she needs this," she motioned to the living room. "I still can't believe she's never been to a slumber party."

"Well her parents were pretty hard on her growing up and then she got ill, so it makes sense I guess," Flynn remarked. 

Eve nodded, her face relaying evident concern and compassion for the other woman. "But _you_ ," she drew out, her focus returning to Flynn again, "Be safe. Don't think you have to drink any of them under the table, I know you like to win but please, not at that."

Flynn's shoulders rose and fell as he laughed. "Don't worry, we'll be fine."

"Worrying is my default where all of you are concerned," she muttered.

"You're adorable," he grinned at her.

"Shut up. Oh wait!" She suddenly tore away from his embrace then returned with a cookie in hand. "Sorry I smacked you. I guess we won't eat all of them. One for the road?"

He took it from her, their fingers brushing momentarily, then gave her another dopey grin. "Thanks. I'll see you later." He gave her a quick kiss before he headed to the door where the boys were waiting in Jenkins' station wagon. 

"Have a good night," Eve called out.

"You too," he replied, turning his head to give her one last look, almost walking into a lamp post when he turned back around. Eve chuckled at his clumsiness before seeing that he got in the car and shutting the door.

 

"So," a small voice piped up from behind her, snapping her out of her Flynn-centric haze. "How exactly does this work?"

Eve turned around and grabbed the plate of cookies and the bowl of popcorn she'd prepared earlier and headed into the living room. "Well," she began, "I thought we'd start off with a movie." She lifted the popcorn slightly to emphasise her point. "It's always a good place to start off. I have this stuff and brownies and those chips that you like. I have ice cream too but I thought we'd save that for when we watch a sappy movie, you know, the real heart-breaking stuff."

Cassie furrowed her eyebrows and looked like she was going to ask a question but shook her head and simply said "okay," with a small smile. "Oh I have chocolate!" she remembered, riffling through one of her bags and pulling out two varieties of M&Ms and a large bar of milk chocolate. 

"Definitely set for chocolate then," Eve stated as she watched her. 

"I got your diet cherry Coke too," she told the blonde, pulling out two bottles of soda, "and my vanilla one, oh and the wine. This is the right one, right?"

"Yes," Eve answered, taking a quick glance at the label. "Awesome. I'll put it in the fridge. You wanna start the movie?" 

"Yeah sure," Cassandra replied, swapping the bottle for the DVD Eve passed to her. "Ooh Miss Congeniality, I haven't seen this in a while."

"Kinda one of my favourites," Eve voiced from the kitchen. Cassandra grinned as she started up the movie. Badass female FBI agent who is definitely not that girly, she thought to herself, of course she loves it. 

* * *

 "My mom would've lost it too if I had Satan's panties," Cassandra remarked in reference to a line in the movie, midway through it. 

Eve almost choked on her popcorn at the redhead's casual statement. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Satan's panties," she nodded to the screen. "Anything that wasn't your basic undergarment. Ugh I hated when she called them that, so Victorian. If she saw me even looking at them in any stores, if by some miracle we were shopping, she'd give me a lecture similar to that one," she motioned to the TV again.

"Wow. I thought my mom was strict. Though to be fair we never had those conversations anyway, we tended to just avoid those issues all together. She did try and give me mini lectures about being a 'proper lady', but to be honest I got to a point where I stopped caring what she or anyone else thought. I like my lace and I am proud of it," Eve declared.

Cassandra laughed at how pleased Eve looked with herself. "Lucky Flynn," she quipped. Eve opened her mouth to give a somewhat embarrassed reply and bring an end to the topic but instead just laughed.

"Aww," Cassandra squealed as the movie drew to a close. "She's so happy, and she got the guy."

"Uh, did you see how awesome she was? _He_ got the girl," Eve quipped.

"Isn't there a second movie?"

"Yeah but he's not in it."

"Oh," disappointment crossed Cassandra's face. "But it would've been cute."

"Yeah but their relationship isn't the point of the movie." There was something about Eve's tone that caused curiosity to fall over Cassandra's face. "Sorry I think I'm over compensating," Eve continued as the other woman looked at her questioningly. "It's just...sometimes it scares me because I don't wanna be one of those girls that's all about her boyfriend but...when I see Flynn all I wanna do is crawl back into bed with him," Eve confessed. Cassandra raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Not like that!" Eve insisted. "I mean just...cuddling. He has this way of holding me that's like..."

"Safe?" Cassandra hazarded a guess.

"Home." Eve was wearing a small smile and her eyes were twinkling in a way that suggested she was getting lost in her thoughts. "I'm sorry," she suddenly winced, "I'm being a sap."

"That's okay," Cassandra chuckled. "Isn't this what we're supposed to be doing? Besides, it's nice to see you like this, I mean it's nice to hear you talk about it. You and Flynn are perfect together, we can all see it, and to be honest, it's nice to have another girl to talk about this stuff with."

Eve smiled with both appreciation and sympathy. "Thanks. But just FYI, if you ever wanna do this, or even just grab a drink and talk, about anything, feel free to come find me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, us girls have gotta stick together right?" 

"Right! What now?" Cassandra asked after a brief pause.

"Huh?" Eve stared at her.

"What do we do now?"

"Oh!" Cassandra was staring at her, wide eyed and expectant, and for a second Eve caught a glimpse of a thirteen year old whose excitement never faded in the hope that she might finally get to be a normal thirteen year old. 

"Uh well, you brought some stuff with you didn't you? How about we pick something out from there?" Eve suggested. "Ooh and we can crack open the wine!"

"Okay!" Cassie excitedly jumped up and rummaged around in her bags, finally pulling out a stack of magazines and a small vanity case. Eve smiled as she watched her, she really did remind her of Flynn sometimes, the way their eyes got bigger when they were excited, their ear-to-ear long grins. "We have these," she laid down the magazines on the coffee table, "aaand these." She opened the vanity case and inside Eve saw an array of nail varnishes, packed together tightly in the small bag. 

"Wow. You...have a lot of those."

"Yes," Cassandra beamed, turning to face Eve. "Pick your colours, I'll go get the wine," she instructed before skipping out of the room. 

"Uh, you know, I don't actually..." Eve stopped when she realised she wasn't being heard. 

 

Cassandra returned to the room moments later, the wine and two glasses in hand. "Got 'um?" she asked.

"Uh, yeah how about you do _your_ nails and I watch you?"

"No but I really wanted to do yours!" Cassandra whined. "Please! I'm really good at it. We could even spell Flynn's name out across your nails!" 

Eve stared at the redhead in horror. "Please don't ever do that," she begged before being weakened by Cassandra's pleading blue eyes. "Fine!" she exclaimed in defeat, "but _one_ colour, and please, God, no names. I mean I love the guy but I draw the line at that."

Cassandra smiled as she began finding the right colour. "I've never heard you say that before."

"Yeah well, I only really say it to him," Eve replied, opening the wine and pouring them each a glass. She shook her head as Cassandra held up a light pink, then again with a horrified frown when she was shown a neon lime green. "What about that one?" she nodded to a light grey bottle. 

"Okay," Cassandra agreed reluctantly. She grabbed a tissue and moved to sit beside Eve. "Hands on the tissue, spread your fingers." Eve did as she was told, turning to face the other woman. 

 

"Hey, you are good at this," Eve commented as Cassandra slicked the paint over her nails. 

"Well, when I got bored of reading AP science books or going through study guides or pieces of extra credit I used to do this. I was hauled up in my room and no one knew, I just kept a book out in case anyone walked in so they didn't know I was cutting in to precious future planning time. Obviously they'd see that my nails were a different colour every few days, that's _if_ they noticed, but they didn't actually say anything, after all image was everything."

Eve looked at her sympathetically, she was being so casual about it. "No offence, but it's kind of crazy that you had to hide painting your nails. I mean I get why you'd do it but...man."

"Welcome to the House of Cillian," Cassandra remarked, sarcasm thick on her tongue. 

"I don't think I ever really did that. I mean, I wasn't one to talk about my feelings so I guess there was that but I never felt like I had to hide things. I got tired of the things I liked being frowned up so I was just upfront about it, I liked what I liked, I did what I wanted to do. No matter how many dances my mom tried to get me to go to, to get dates for, I was always happier doing the complete opposite of that."

"She made you go to dances?"

"Tried. There was always stuff going on at the bases. There were a lot of kids around there, not that any of us ever stuck around, but you knew who was an army brat. Still, that didn't mean I wanted to date any of them. But mom was determined to have me be a lady. One time she got me this huge, frilly pink dress and insisted I wear it to a Spring dance thing we had going on. Even my dad laughed at it! It was just like I'd fallen into a vat of gum!" Cassandra tried not to let her laughter affect her steady hand. "Seriously. It was _bad_."

"What did you do then?" Cassie giggled. 

"I got a pair of scissors and made a few alterations. I mean I still ended up looking like Barbie but I managed to tone it down to a simple long number." 

"Was she mad?"

"You think she would've been but she just started buying me magazines and telling me it was wonderful if I wanted to pursue a career in fashion."

"Ooh, sorry," Cassandra said as she quickly wiped a stray strip of grey from Eve's finger, then took a sip of wine. "My mom once tried to set me up-"

"What? She let you date? Cassandra 'never allowed out the house unless there's a STEM fair' Cillian, was allowed to date?"

"Well no, but that's the thing. The guy was some super smart, already taking college classes, spent summers in the Hamptons kinda guy. He was ridiculously smart and I think she thought we could eventually create some supersonic genius baby."

"No. Way," Eve cried in disbelief. "Seriously? How old were you?!"

"Like 14."

"Jesus! I like planning but that is something else!"

"Switch hands. So, do you have any more crazy mother stories?" Cassie asked, still absolutely focused on her task.

Eve scoffed. "Yeah but we'd be here for the next week," she said in between blowing her nails. "There was this one time though, where I'd just got to the doorstep after a date, which was hard enough to secure because no one wants to date the scary Colonel's daughter. Anyway, he walked me to the door and we were about to lean in for kiss-"

"Oooh," Cassandra teased.

Eve rolled her eyes. "Anyway. Then all of a sudden I notice the curtains are moving from inside."

"Please tell me she wasn't looking," Cassandra stopped momentarily to hear the rest of Eve's story. 

"Of course she was! So I backed away from the guy but then door opened and she was stood there like some crazy Stepford woman and invited him in, while the rest of her friends were there! And it gets worse. Then she proceeds to tell him how wonderful it is that we're on a date...because I'm so great and I just need a man to steady me and then! Then she tells him what great child-bearing hips I have!"

"NO!" 

"Yes!"

"What happened with the guy?"

"Well that was our last date, as you can imagine. Couldn't exactly blame the poor guy." Eve poured more wine for them both but not before Cassandra frowned at her for moving. "Sorry," she muttered, "forgot."  

"Are all moms pathological do you think, or just ours?" 

"I kinda don't wanna know the answer. I suppose it's a little better if we're all doomed though. I know Flynn's mom was nice, although she spent half her time trying to set him up so I hear. But he still adored her."

"Maybe it's different for boys," Cassandra supposed. "Jake always talks about his momma. I've never heard Ezekiel talk about any family though."

"Maybe they have dad issues," Eve remarked. "I did get on fairly well with my dad. Though that might have had something to do with me becoming less interested and not distracted by guys the more dedicated I got to my career."

"Possibly. To be honest when I was little I was close to my dad. With any achievement or award, my mom kind of just expected it, but Dad always hugged me and told me how proud he was," Cassandra reminisced. 

"That's nice," Eve smiled.

"Yeah. It was. But anyway, maybe boys do have it difficult with their dads, Jake certainly did when we went back to Oklahoma that time. How about Flynn?"

"He never really knew his dad, he died when he was little. But from what he remembers they were close."

Cassandra's face fell a little at Eve's explanation. "Oh, I never knew that."

"Yeah, he doesn't talk about it really, though I get why he's so used to people leaving his life."

"But not you," Cassandra commented.

"Not me," Eve smiled. "I'll be around for as long as he'll have me."

"Awwww. You guys are the cutest! I can't wait 'til you get married! We can go dress shopping and look through all the magazines and ooh go wedding cake testing!"

"Woah there Red! Let's not get ahead of ourselves! One step at a time. How about first we go get you some Satan's panties, although maybe we should stop calling them that since we have met the actual devil."

"Really? You'd do that? You'd really take me shopping?" 

"Every girl needs a pair and I will not let you be an exception," Eve stated defiantly.

"Thank you!" Cassandra beamed at her before closing the nail varnish and setting up to do her own. They sat like that for a while as Cassandra did her own nails, the wine depleting as they talked, giggles becoming more frequent. 

 

Once Eve was sure her nails were dry she picked up one of the magazines and began rifling through it. "Uh Cassandra?"

"Yeah?" she looked up and steadied the three different coloured bottles she was holding. 

"These are not the trashy magazines I thought you'd got," she commented, flicking back to the front cover of one of them. 

"Well I thought we were a bit old for trashy teen ones so I got adult ones."

"Uh yeah...for starters I didn't think they'd do these kind of quizzes in women's magazines but anyway, these quizzes they have in the back..."

"What about them?"

"You do realise they're adult too? Like adult adult?" Cassandra frowned so Eve walked nearer to her and showed her one of the pages. 

Cassandra's eyes widened in horror. "Oh. Um well...we don't _have_ to do them I guess, I mean if you're not comfortable or anything."

"No, no, I mean you wanted a slumber party...I guess this is the grown up equivalent right? Neither of us are great at girl talk so maybe we should throw ourselves in at the deep end."

* * *

As the wine continued to flow the two women loosened up and began exchanging more explicit stories, and both found that they were not as embarrassed as they had thought they might be. "He did not!" Eve exclaimed in the middle of Cassandra's answer to question seven.

"I promise you he did. Right in the middle."

"Right in the middle?! Good god. Okay I am totally interrogating your next boyfriend to make sure he's sane," Eve declared.

"Is that before or after you tell him about the magical Library we work in?" Cassandra chuckled?

"Fair point," Eve shrugged, "still, who starts talking about their grandparents in the middle of it?!"

Cassandra laughed as she flicked over the page of the magazine. "Okay, next question. Your most exciting place?" 

"And next question," Eve responded.

"That is it."

"No. So not answering that one."

"Oh come on you are not backing out now. Tell me, tell me!"

"I can't," Eve said simply. 

"Why not-" Cassandra gasped suddenly. "Did you desecrate my lab?!" 

"No. Relax, your lab is perfectly untainted," the blonde assured her.

"Then where?"

Eve sighed and gave in knowing Cassandra wouldn't relent. Shutting her eyes with a wince she mumbled, "The desk."

Cassandra's face contorted in confusion. "Desk? What de-" She gasped again and her eyes widened as the penny dropped. "YOUR DESK?! FLYNN'S DESK?! THE DESK YOU SHARE WITH FLYNN?! YOU GUYS DID IT IN THE ANNEX?!...Oh my god, I cannot look at that desk in the same way."

"And this is why I didn't want to say anything."

"Seriously? The Annex! What if one of us had walked in?!"

"You were all out. We got caught up in the moment," Eve muttered in an attempt at a justification. 

"Still, we could've walked in at any minute," Cassandra chided.

"What do you think made it so exciting," Eve grinned in response, causing them both to burst out laughing again.

"Oh gosh," Cassandra wiped her eyes, "and I thought my Jacuzzi night was crazy."

"Woah, Jacuzzi? Gonna need an explanation there Red."

"Ryan, my second boyfriend, and I went to a cabin one long weekend and we had our own hot tub out on the terrace. When it got to the night and the stars were out and the steam was rising and it was just the two of us..."

"You did it outside," Eve teased in a sing-song voice as Cassandra grinned. 

"Technically we were _in_ the tub."

"Nope, outside. It counts. Can't say I've ever been a fan of tubs of any kind though," Eve commented thoughtfully.

"But this was nice. It was all warm and bubbly," she smiled.

"Doesn't it make things difficult?"

"Nope. Makes it much better actually." Cassandra's response induced another round of laughter. Eve picked up the bottle of wine and went to refill their glasses but only a drop came out. 

"Well that's gone," she declared. 

"Good it was horrible," Cass remarked.

"Oh my god, right? Usually I don't mind when I share it with Flynn but it was weird today."

"Maybe because we had Coke beforehand," Cassandra supposed.

Eve swung her legs off the couch and stretched them. "Oooh let's make Tiki Death Punch!" she suggested.

"What's that?"

"Cocktail and it's pink. Required at slumber parties when you hit a certain age, not that I ever really had many female friends after I reached that certain age." With that she strolled into the kitchen, taking the empty bottle with her and began opening multiple cupboard doors. "Cassandra," she called out after a few moments.

"Yeah?"

"This wine is non-alcoholic," she stated matter-of-factly. "Or at least it was."

"Oh," came the sullen reply from the next room. "Wait," she said, lightening up, "that means we're not giddy, we're just having fun!"

Eve chuckled at her comment, she couldn't argue with it. "Guess so. We're not as bad at this girl talk thing as we thought."

 

Cassandra saw Eve throw carefully measured out beverages into the blender as she got up to join her in the kitchen. "So...can I ask you something?" she asked in a more serious tone just after the blonde had whizzed all the ingredients around in the machine.

"Of course," Eve replied with a kind smile.

"You know with the whole..." Cassandra nodded her head pointedly.

"What?" Eve asked, perplexed.

"You know, stuff."

"Cassandra I think we've had enough wine-not-wine to get us past the euphemisms, you can say sex." She poured the drinks out then rummaged in one of the cupboards for straws before throwing those in too. 

"Right, yeah, that." Eve smiled at how shy she was still being, despite their previous conversations. "I know we just talked about all that stuff but I don't really have that much experience. Do you- do you get any better at it? Is it different? I'm sorry, I'm not phrasing this well."

"No it's okay, I get it I think. I don't know if _we_ can get better, necessarily, we can feel like we are. It depends on your partner too, and how long you've been with them I guess, and how comfortable you are. As for whether it's different, well...Flynn certainly doesn't have me staring at the ceiling like other guys have." They both laughed as they took their drinks and sat back down in the living room. "But yeah, it's different with every guy, sometimes with the same guy, it depends on the situation."

"How'd you mean?"

"Well, sometimes it's awkward and sometimes you're nervous, like first times, every first time is nerve-wracking, though I guess you know that much. Sometimes it's full of angst but it's still full of emotion and sometimes that's a good thing, I know it was for me and Flynn when we first...but anyway, then there are times where it's just really hot and you forget how to breathe! Sometimes it's just fun, that's important, to laugh with them. Then you get those times where it's just so full of love, they're so full of love and you know that they're just as amazed to have you by their side as you are. That's when it's real."

"Wow. That's a lot of emotion," Cass remarked.

"Well," Eve shrugged, "it's an emotional thing...sometimes. Sometimes there's tequila and you just go with it."

Cassandra's mouth fell open and her eyes widened. "Eve!" she cried in amusement.

"What?! Just because I went to a military academy doesn't mean I didn't have fun," Eve replied shamelessly. "So, if you don't mind me asking, how not experienced are we talking?"

Cassandra laughed. "Eve, I think we've had enough wine-not-wine to get us past the minding stage," she said, repeating the woman's earlier statement. This time Eve laughed then let her continue. "But uh...three," she told her, holding up the same amount of fingers.

"Oh," Eve nodded neutrally.

"Yeah.”

“I thought you were about to tell me there was one guy, one time.”

“No,” Cassandra laughed, “but I’m always a little conscious with numbers because…I dunno, I’m me.”

“Well you have no reason to be. Anyway, about these three; spill.”

“Okay, well there was Steve, I met him when I first started to live alone. He was my first real boyfriend, we were together for a couple years actually?"

"What happened?" 

"I started getting sicker and I guess he got tired of all the hospital runs."

"Oh Cass," Eve's voice was full of sorrow. 

"It's okay, it freaks most people out. I'm surprised we lasted as long as we did."

"Yeah but there's no need for him to be an ass. Sorry, I know I don't know the guy but still."

Cassandra smiled appreciatively as Eve's protective outburst. "It's okay, I get it. Anyway, so one night I got really depressed and went out, I didn't even drink, I just hovered about and tried to dance with a couple of the girls from work, it's kinda hard to let your hair down when you're on a mountain of pills. But then I met Ryan. He basically said I stuck out like a sore thumb and did I wanna get out of there-"

"Cassandra Cillian," Eve interrupted, "did you have a one night stand?!"

"Yes. Kind of."

Eve gasped in mock shock. "I don't even know who you are anymore! I can't look at you the same way," she teased as she brought her legs up on the couch, preparing herself for the rest of the story. 

"Shut up," Cassandra giggled. "Technically it _was_ a one night stand but we exchanged numbers and ended up dating for a while."

"Aww, it's like a dirty love story," Eve stated playfully.

"Stop it!" Cass hid her face in embarrassment. “Anyway, then there was Brandon. He was so sweet and really shy and quiet. He was a grad student at the university.”

“Oh he seems perfect already. What happened?” Eve asked, intrigued.

“He got a job working in Japan, got the chance to work with some excellent people in his field,” Cassandra explained.

“Oh no. Well that sucks.”

"Yeah. Anyway, I spilled my number, now you go."

"Nooo, no no no. So not doing that," Eve shook her head. 

"Come on! I did! You are breaking the rules of slumber parties!"

"Okay first of all this is your first slumber party, you don't know the rules. Second, we have not had nearly enough alcohol for that. Even Flynn doesn't know my number!"

"He doesn't?"

"Nope. It's not that it's bad, I just don't want to make him feel...I dunno. We’re just us, whatever happened before is irrelevant so I don’t want to bring it up, his or mine."

"Okay fine, no numbers. Tell me your first, then I'll stop bugging you," she giggled, feeling the slight effect of the alcohol now.

Eve sighed and relented. "Fine. But don't make a thing about it."

"Promise."

"I can't believe I'm about to tell you this...Sam. Sam was my first."

Cassandra crossed her eyebrows trying to think of why the name was familiar, why Eve assumed it was familiar to her. "Sam...Sam," she whispered to herself as Eve waited for her to catch on. "Wait! Sam? Sam the- the politician guy?! Sam your 'friend', Sam?!"

"Okay don't start with the finger quoting!"

"Really though?!" Cassandra's blue eyes widened in astonishment.

"Yes."

"But...when? I thought you guys served together...not that long ago?"

"We did. But before that we went to college together. _He_ was _my_ first real boyfriend. We were just friends first, I mean obviously I knew he always wanted more but...college was a big step, it threw us right in to the military, all procedure, no mistakes. It was a lot to get used to and we were a comfort to each other. He was a softness for everything that wasn't. That night he was really sweet."

"But?"

Eve gave a puff of laughter at how obvious it had been that her story had a downside. " _But_ after that it was all he wanted to do and I was okay with it at first, you know it was exciting, but then everything else kind of stopped. I guess I lost the friend in him. But then we graduated and went our separate ways anyway."

"So what was it like when you met up again?"

"Good. Seeing a familiar face when you're in a war zone really reminds you of better times."

"I bet."

"We had to work close together and it was like I'd gotten my friend back. But close together soon turned into _closer_ together and then that turned into _back_ together. Maybe it was the fact that we weren't technically allowed to be a couple that made it all the more exciting and hot but whatever it was things were good for a long time, and honestly, being where we were and having seen what we'd both had to face, I was just glad to have him back with me."

"Wait, you weren't allowed to be together?! Colonel Baird are you telling me you're a rule breaker?!" Cass jested.

"Maybe," Eve retorted. "I loved him and I was scared," she shrugged in answer. “I made sure we were careful and kept things professional when they had to be though. Then we were called back to DC and we were together for a while, for the first time I had someone to come home to, or come home with, we never actually moved in together, neither one of us was the settling kind. But then I got promoted and was offered my NATO role and I realised how much I'd changed. At the same time I realised that actually, Sam was still very much the frat boy I left at West Point. Also I found him in bed with one of the new recruits."

"Woah! You can't just throw that out there like that!"

"Sorry. Stop me if all this gets too much," Eve winced. 

"No, no," Cassandra insisted, "I'm glad you feel you can talk about it. What did you do after that?"

"I told him to leave me alone, hit a few punching bags, drank way too much beer...then cried. But then I was out of the country again in my new job and I didn't see him again until recently."

"And yet you still went to help him?"

"He called me as a friend and I went to help him as a friend. We were always good as friends. It was when we let things get more complicated that it all fell apart. Anyway! That got really depressing really quickly. Tell me exactly about this one night stand. Details please."

"Ha! I think we should save that for another night."

"Fair enough, here's to more cheesy nights in," Eve said, raising her glass.

"I'll drink to that," Cassandra responded, clinking her glass against Eve's before they both took a sip of their drinks. "Wow that really is good, and I don't feel like it's hitting me that much."

"That's probably because we sobered ourselves up with our happy life stories," Eve uttered sarcastically. Cassandra was about to reply when noise from just outside the door disturbed them. "What the hell is that?" 

 

Both women got up to see what the commotion was, both frowned when they were greeted with three over-amused Librarians on the other side of the door. "What are you doing here?!" Eve interrogated as all three men shuffled through the door one after the other. All three began talking at once, between fits of laughter. "Hold on, hold on. One at a time," she told them. 

"Jones hacked into the barmaid's phone and added my number to it and started sending her weird texts to make me look bad," Jake spoke first, glaring at Ezekiel.

"Well you were the one bragging about having so much Southern charm, I wanted to see if you could charm your way out of it," Ezekiel replied in defence. 

"Except we got kicked out," added Flynn.

"Yeah then you weren't laughin’ so much," Jake muttered. 

"Oh believe me I was," Ezekiel beamed. "It was very funny even if I do say so myself."

"No it wasn't," he replied through gritted teeth.

"It kind of was a little bit," Flynn confessed as Jake glared at him too. "Anyway," he continued, "then Jones and I were laughing and these guys were arguing and Jenkins was too embarrassed to be with us and was mortified at having been kicked out, and also I think he just wanted to go home, and then he said we weren't allowed back to the Annex nor were we allowed to 'continue to be frivolous about town', so he drove us here. Oh and he said he's sorry he's disturbing your night by having done so."

"You guys have been out for like what, three, four hours?!" Eve cried. "You couldn't even last that long without getting into trouble?"

"Technically it wasn't my fault," said Flynn, hand flopping onto his chest animatedly. "I love you."

Eve narrowed her eyes at him. "How much have you had to drink?" she asked. 

"Smidgen," he said, raising his thumb and forefinger an inch. 

"Uh yeah..." Jake increased the amount he was displaying, "...more like that. Times five."

Flynn smacked his hand away. "It wasn't that much. Don't listen to him," he insisted. "Look, I'll name you every president we've ever had. In order."

"No that's okay," Eve replied, pretty sure he'd still be able to do that if he was tipsy. "So basically you're crashing our night?" Jake and Ezekiel nodded.

"Technically I'm just coming home," said Flynn. "Like I said I would. Wait did I say that?"

"Stop stating technicalities," Eve frowned at him. "Okay, everybody in the living room," she wafted her hand after them as though she was herding sheep. She tugged on Cassandra's arm as the boys trailed into the adjoining room. "Sorry Red. This is _not_ what happens at a slumber party."

"It's okay," the other woman shrugged. "I kinda like it when we all hang out together, and I'm sure Jenkins is happy he has the Annex to himself. Besides, we've had a good night so far."

"Well, plenty more where that came from. I mean it Red, I know I'm not a girly girl and I can't promise to go to weekly manicure appointments with you but...you know you have me right? For whatever."

The redhead smiled, clearly touched, her eyes sparkling at the kind words. "I know. Thank you."

Eve nodded then headed into the next room where the laughter and bickering was ongoing. "Hey have you guys eaten?”

* * *

"Okay, the is food ordered," Eve said, coming back into the room and settling herself on the couch next to Flynn, bringing her legs up and laying them across his lap. 

"I can't believe you still actually make a call to order you food," Ezekiel sniggered.

"Well I like to speak to an actual human person to make sure there are no mistakes. I hate when I'm so excited about food and it's the wrong thing," she retorted.

"I picked up the wrong thing _once_ ," Flynn said, fearing she was still holding a grudge.

"I didn't mean you," she chuckled, leaning forward to give him a kiss.

"Oh," he smiled with relief.

"Anyway," she continued, "it's not my fault _someone_ had such specific instructions for the poor chef."

"What?" cried Jake from across the room. "Is it wrong to want my food cooked right?"  
"It's takeout," replied Ezekiel. "Nobody cares how takeout is cooked, as long as it tastes good."  
"Fine. Tell me how great it is when you get salmonella," Jake muttered.  
"Um I don't eat salmon so ha!" Ezekiel shot back attempting to look smug. Jake stared at him in disbelief then simply laughed and shook his head.

"Are you okay in there Red?" Eve called into the kitchen. "You sure you don't want any help?"

"No thanks," Cassandra yelled back, "you did this so quickly, I wanna try it." A minute later the redhead returned to the room carrying a tray with five pink drinks, each with its own crazy straw and umbrella.

 

"What's this," Jake asked as Cassandra shoved a glass in his face.

"Alcohol," she smiled proudly.

"It's pink," he stared at the liquid, offended.

"I'll try it," Ezekiel announced, grabbing a glass and tasting the drink. "Mm not bad. Don't judge a book by its cover cowboy."

Jake frowned at him, his thick eyebrows furrowed. "I don't, I just don't see what's wrong with a good ol' fashioned beer," smiling like he was thinking about an old love.

"Nothing is wrong with that," Eve chipped in, "but broaden your horizons Jake." He glared at her, she usually took his side on these things but apparently girl’s night had swayed her bias.

He grunted and took the drink anyway, cautiously taking a sip. "Hmm," he mumbled before realising Cassandra was still staring at him hopefully. "Thank you Cassie," he smiled at her, "it's actually pretty good.”

"Really?" she beamed gleefully, "because I've never actually made a cocktail before."

"Never?" he raised his brows.

"Uh uh," she shook her head. "My mom called them Satan's tonics."

"Wow. Did she just assign everything to Satan?" Eve asked, not sure why she was surprised given the stories she'd heard.

"Pretty much, the movie stuff she didn't, but if she'd heard that phrase she would've," Cassandra replied to Eve.

"What movie stuff?" Flynn asked Eve quietly, "what else did she assign to Satan?"

"Oh never you mind Librarian," Eve grinned, while Flynn frowned, feeling out of the loop and hating it.

* * *

 "Okay but can we please not spend three hours deciding which one to watch?" Ezekiel pleaded at Cassandra's suggestion that they watch a movie.

"Well if you agree to Two Weeks Notice we won't have to," Cassandra sang at him, waving said DVD about in the air. 

"Hugh Grant again?!" he groaned.

"Hey this was supposed to be girl’s night," she frowned at him, "you ruined it so you have to watch whatever we propose, ooh how about The Proposal?!" Her eyes widened as she began excitedly rummaging through one of her many bags. 

"Uh no offence Cassie but if we watch one of those fluffy chick movies I'm gonna be starin' at the ceilin' all night," Jake informed her. 

"Welcome to our world," Eve muttered with a grin. She exchanged a look with Cassandra and the two burst into laughter, earning confused looks from Jake and Ezekiel and startling Flynn who'd dozed off on Eve's shoulder.

"Hnnpphh," he exclaimed incoherently as he awoke with a start. 

Eve immediately rested a hand on his cheek to calm him. "Hey, shh, it's alright."

"What happened?" he mumbled with frown.

"Nothing, nothing," she continued to grin, "go back to sleep." At that moment the doorbell rang, making them all jump. "Or don't actually, looks like the food’s here."

"Thanks man," Jake tipped the delivery guy before returning to the living room and laying all the food out on the table. 

* * *

"Ooh yes! Fortune cookies!" said Cassandra excitedly after putting her empty plate on the coffee table. "I love fortune cookies!"

"They're not even real," Flynn burst her bubble, "they're not even Chinese."

"Why would you tell me that?" she said quietly, a sober expression on her face. 

"Don't worry Red, you got told Santa wasn't real and look how that turned out," Eve tried to fix the situation, giving Flynn a pointed look, who shrugged and mouthed 'sorry'.

"I like them," Ezekiel informed them somewhat decisively. "Except the part how the fortunes get in there. I feel like someone’s been in my food, rummaging around and touching it."

"Yeah, imagine how it must feel, someone having their hands on your property," Eve retorted, sarcasm thick on her tongue. 

"That's not the same," he insisted. "Anyway Math Girl, what does yours say?"

"Stop calling me that," Cassandra pouted at him, "I do science too." She broke open the cookie and pulled out the string of paper inside, her eyes widening again as she read it. "Ooh!"

"What? What is it?" Eve asked, leaning forward with curiosity.

" _Your greatest love may be closer than you think_ ," she read aloud. 

"Oh please," Flynn muttered quietly, rolling his eyes. 

Eve smacked him on the arm. "Would you have said that if that had been your fortune?" she asked.

Flynn blinked at her, clearly torn about how to answer, knowing he could either look stupid or earn her wrath. "Uh...you know what I don't want to answer that," he shook his head. 

"That's what I thought."

"Eve what about yours?" Cassandra nodded to the cookie rested on the arm of the couch.

"Uh..." she quickly unwrapped it and searched for the paper inside. “ _Darkness always precedes the dawn._ "

"That's very true," Cassandra nodded, accepting it as gospel.

"I could find that with a Google search," Jake cut in.

"You know how to do that?" Ezekiel feigned surprise earning another glare from Jake. 

Eve meanwhile was staring at Flynn who was slurping up a particularly long noodle. "What?" he mumbled, licking his lips.

"You're my dawn," she whispered with a smile. 

“Okay,” he simply smiled, having been too caught up in his food to understand what she meant. "Do we have any more of this?" he pointed enthusiastically to his plate. 

"No," Eve chuckled. "But I have some in my plate still, you can have that." She reached for her own plate and gave it to him, smiling and running a hand through his hair as she continued to watch him.

"Ezekiel," Cassandra said, "what's yours?"

The young Librarian read his fortune and sagged his shoulders in mild disappointment. " _Your greatest love may be closer than you think_ ," he said with no enthusiasm, feeling like a broken record. 

"Ha! See!" Flynn seemed suddenly engaged in the conversation again. "I told you!" 

Before Eve could scold him the doorbell rang again. Confused, they all looked at one another, Jake counting them to check they were all there. Ezekiel was the only one to get up and walk to the other room to answer it. "Actually Flynn," he said smugly, "I think you'll find you might be wrong. The fortune was right, my greatest love is right here." As he turned the corner and entered the room again, they saw he was holding a pizza box and looking exceptionally gleeful. He took a large sniff and smiled as though he was in heaven. "Ah, extra cheese and double pep."

"Oh my god," Eve said as Flynn shook his head.

"You've just eaten!" cried Cassandra.

"I'd hate to see what your arteries look like," Jake muttered. 

"How do you even have room?" Flynn queried.

"You're all just jealous," Ezekiel retorted, sitting back down happily.

* * *

"Cassandra," Eve said softly. "Hey Red, movie's over."

"Hmm?" the redhead murmured, head still leaning back against the couch.  
Eve shook her shoulder lightly. "You fell asleep. It's like 12.30, time to sleep properly."  
"S'comfy," she mumbled, trying to settle down again.  
"Cassandra you're on the floor, you’ve been sitting there all evening, you are not sleeping there all night," she gave her another little shake. "Come on, up." Groaning, Cassandra stood up and stretched then turned to Eve who'd picked herself up off the couch too. "And you," Eve turned to Flynn. “Sleep"  
As she headed towards the bedroom she felt Flynn following close behind and came to a halt at the bedroom door, swivelling on her heels. "Where do you think you're going Mr?"  
Flynn looked at her completely confused. "Uh bed. Where we sleep. Like you just said," he replied.  
"No no no," she shook her head. "I said you needed to sleep. I did not say you were going to sleep in here."  
"Wha- but this is our bed," he blinked.  
"Not tonight. You guys crashed our night, we get the bed," she nodded to Cassandra who suddenly looked like she wanted to be anywhere but there. "Oh and wake the boys up so they can pull the couch out properly, or their necks will hurt in the morning." With that she strolled into the bedroom and set about get ready for bed, leaving Flynn wondering what had just happened.  
"Sorry," Cassandra winced as she slid past him into the room. 

* * *

While Cassandra readied herself for bed Eve slipped out into the living room where the three boys were settled on the two pull out couches. She crouched down beside Flynn's and tried to get his attention.  
"Psst," she whispered.  
He flickered his eyes opened, still awake from tossing and turning, and having been missing the faint smell of Eve's shampoo lingering nearby. "Yes?" he pouted at her with a frown.  
"I'm sorry," she said sincerely. "It's nothing personal, well aside from the fact that you _did_ crash our party, but I just wanted it to be a real slumber party for her. Tonight meant so much to her."  
Flynn's expression softened as she spoke. There she went again, taking care of everyone. "Don't worry about it," he replied.  
"Sure?"  
"Yeah."  
"Okay," she whispered before leaning forward and giving him a quick kiss. "Goodnight."  
"Love you."

* * *

"Psst, psssst." Flynn shuffled round on the pull-out couch and squinted up at the auburn curls that were dangling in his face. "Go in there," Cassandra whispered.

Flynn frowned at her in confusion. "But your slumber party?”

“It’s okay, there’ll be more,” she assured him.

“But she kicked me out," he said.

"Doesn't matter.”

“Are you sure?”

“Trust me, the Eve I’ve spent the evening with would want nothing more than you by her side all night, despite what she says. Go put your arms around her," Cassandra smiled kindly.

Flynn beamed at her then jumped off the couch. "Thank you!" he whispered back at her before dashing into his own room. Cassandra giggled and settled down in the spot where Flynn had been lying, but not before snapping a photo of Ezekiel and Jake cuddled up next to each other as they slept. She laughed as she made sure she'd saved it, she was going to be able to use it for a long time.

* * *

Eve stirred as she felt a familiar presence settle next to her on the bed. "Flynn?" she murmured, turning on her side as she attempted to force open her heavy eyelids.

"Hey," Flynn whispered back. "Cassandra let me back in. I hope that's okay."

Eve was still half asleep and had unsuccessfully flickered her eyes open so she didn't protest, to Flynn's appreciation. "What? Okay," she mumbled before shuffling closer to him and drifting off again. Flynn chuckled to himself then kissed the top of her head and wrapped an arm around her, pulling her closer. Cassandra was right, lying next to Eve with her in his arms was exactly what he needed to be doing.

**Author's Note:**

> Anything and everything is appreciated (congratulations on getting through it if you did :) x


End file.
